'Representing India at Miss Universe pageant a dream come true'

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) Indore girl Mansi Moghe, who has won the Miss Diva 2013 competition and will represent India at the Miss Universe pageant, says that it was her childhood dream to win a beauty pageant like this where she can get the chance to make her country proud.

"I had a mixed feeling when I won Miss Diva because I knew, it is a very big opportunity and responsibility over me to get the Miss Universe crown back in India. Winning a beauty pageant was a childhood dream for me and I am actually living my dream," the 22-year-old told IANS.

It was in 2000 that India's Lara Dutta won the Miss Universe crown. After that it was a flop show for the country at the international beauty peagant.

Mansi will leave for Moscow next month to be the part of Miss Universe that is scheduled to take place Nov 9 and the preparations are in full swing.

"The preparation has started. We have schedules like fitness, diet and nutrition training, ramp walk and question - answer session. I will leave no stone unturned to bring the crown back in India," said Moghe, who is in the capital for the exclusive showcase of of Damiani masterpiece and designer Mandira Wirk's Diva collection.

Born and brought up in Indore, Mansi did her engineering before entering into modelling last year and she feels that "proper education is needed in whatever one is doing".

She also says that there are few names who inspires her a lot in life.

"I used to watch beauty pageants on TV and I look upto all the previous title holders as an inspiration. From Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen to Lara Dutta , everybody inspired me since childhood with the way they talk, walk and the way they progressed in their life," she said.

"But , if I have to take a specific name, it will be Priyanka Chopra. Look at the way her graph is increasing with each passing day. Everything has inspired me a lot," added Moghe.

And Bollywood plans?

"Right now I have very less time to prepare myself for Miss Universe. But whenever I will get a chance , I would love to be the part of it," she concluded.